First Rafale jet to be handed over to India in September, confirm NSA Ajit Doval, French counterpart

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Thursday held a meeting with his French counterpart Emmanuel Bonne in New Delhi.

The duo met days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron during G7 summit. Both the leaders confirmed that first Rafale fighter jet will be handed over to India in September.

In September 2016, India signed a deal with the French government and Dassault Aviation to acquire 36 Rafale fighter jets for over Euro 7.8 billion to arrest the fall of combat squadrons and meet urgent requirements on the eastern and western fronts.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa are scheduled to receive the first Rafale fighter jet manufactured by French firm Dassault Aviation for India on September 20.

The officials here have said the Indian Rafale is far more advanced than the ones operating with the French Air Force and that is why the plane would continue to be used for training Indian pilots till May next year.

The Indian Air Force will deploy one each squadron of the Rafale combat aircraft at its airbases in Ambala in Haryana and Hashimara in Bengal.